Improvement in the manner of constructing railroad-car bodies



G. S. HACKER.

Railway Car.

Patented 'Jam 21,1841V'V /T, t` o o gg/ .i 1 P... WMI

staves.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. vHACKER, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANNEROF CONSTRUCTING RAILROAD-CAR BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1,937, dated January 21,1841.

T0 all wtom it may concern:

- Be itkncwn that l, GEORGE S. HACKER, of the city of Charleston, in the State of South Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Barrel-Oar for the Conveyance of Freight and Passengers on Railroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of the construction and form of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which make a part of the same.

The cars for the transportation of passengers can be built of any size which may be found .most convenient, and may he placed on. either four or eight wheels. The cars form a complete circle, though they might be constructed oval or elliptical. The passenger-cars have doors, with platforms extending out at each end which form an entrance to the interior. The top of the roof projects over the platform to keep out water and tire. Vindows are arranged on each side to admit of light and air. The tioor is raised as high as practicable to afford sufficient space for seats. length or cross wise, as may prove most convenient, and the interior of the cars may be divided into apartments at the ends and in the middle for the separate accommodation of ladies, invalids, and gentlemen.

The cars are constructed of narrow fiooring-boards one and one-fourth inch thick and five and a quarter inches wide at the ends and 'six inches in the middle, so as to preserve the form and dependence on each other, as The width, however, of these staves may vary with the size of the car. They are jointed and grooved and false tongues put in the grooves to prevent leaking. 'lhe tongue may be worked on the solid or the staves may be of thinner stuifsay three-fourths or onehalf inch thick-and the joints broke similar to that of shingling.

The car is supported and strengthened with iron hoops on the outside, the number to be regulated by the length of the cars and the hoops to be occasionally, when necessary, driven up, like the hoops of a barrel, o`r may be tightened by a key.

The cars constructed for baggage have The seats may be arranged eitherv together in the same manner as that for passengers.

The cars intended exclusively for freight correspond in form and make to the above, with the omission of windows at the side and platforms atfthe end. The doors are in the heads and are made large for the convenience of freight in large bags or packages. The staves are consequently solid and the barrel form and strength, with its proportion of iron hoops, in every particular preserved.

It might be difcult in a specification subjected, as the above would seem to be, to' so many varieties or modifications to define my claim for a patent, if I rested it on any of the details as to dimensions or constructions, and not exclusively on the originality of the application of the barrel form and barrel strength and construction, based on the principle of the arch,kept together and strengthened by iron hoops. 'lhis-the barrel regularly hooped and converted into a car for the accommodation of passengers and freight-is what I desire to be patented to me, being well aware that the barrel, when constructed, and described in my specification, may in the interior admit of various dispositions as to apartments, seats, dac., all of convenience to the passengers, but none of them worthy and fair subjects of claim.

I am aware that carriage-bodies for transportation of the mails have been made cylindrical and hooped; but when thus constructed the parts could not be tightly drawn by driving the hoops', and therefore I do not claim this as my invention; but

The following reference by letters to the drawing of the car will explain all its parts,

Letter A shows the platform extending out at each end.

Letter B shows the door to enter the car at the end.

Letter C shows the extension-roof to protect conductor from weather.

Letter D shows the cave-board to turn off water and sparks from weather.

Letter E shows the opening for Windows and slide for sash.

Letter F shows the staves or planks which form outside of oar; letter G, the hoops for tightening up car and keeping it tight either by driving up or keying.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The construction of tho body of :L railroadcar in the form of e barrel hooped in the nianner and for the purpose specified.

GEO, S. HACKER. Witnesses:

B. KENEY, JOHN H. GREER. 

